Comfort

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:13)

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another– and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

The Thessalonian Christians were facing severe trials and persecutions (1:6). They had been disturbed by doctrinal ignorance (4:13-18), and disruption (2 Thessalonians 1:1-4). And yet they had the ability, and the responsibility, to encourage one another with God’s truth and to show their support for each other.

In the New Testament, encouraging and building one another up refers to the process of building spiritual maturity and Christian character. Every believer is to be involved in the process of building up other Christians. The Greek word “parakaleo” translates as “comfort” or “encourage.” The word can also mean, depending on the context, “to summon, or to call to one’s side to give aid.” It is also often used “to strengthen, encourage,” or “to comfort, console” as one who comes alongside to give aid, strength, comfort, or courage. To encourage means to do whatever is needed to bring courage into the lives of other Christians.

Who do you know needs encouragement today? Look around. Most likely many of the Christians around you are hurting and need your encouragement to bring courage to their lives. My prayer for you is that you will be known as a great encourager of many!

This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. (NIV) Haggai 1:5-7

God’s prophet, Haggai, was confronting the Israelites, God’s people, when he said: “Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.’ This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways.'” (Haggai 1:5-7). The people were claiming that it wasn’t the right time to rebuild God’s temple. They were putting their own comfort ahead of God’s plan (verse 4), their priorities were out of line.

Have we placed our own comfort ahead of God’s work? Are we living in prosperity while we neglect those who do God’s work? Do we accumulate material possessions, but never have enough? Are our closets full, but we have nothing to wear?

I don’t know about you, but God has challenged me to give more careful thought to my priorities, to how I spend my time, and how I choose to spend my money!

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.
(NIV) Isaiah 40:1-2

Isaiah paints a beautiful word picture of God’s forgiveness in Isaiah 40:1. He begins with the words “comfort, comfort” spoken to God’s chosen people, the Jews. They were returning from 70 years in captivity. Although the Jews had been disobedient to God, He had not forsaken them. The words “comfort, comfort” in verse 1 are in the imperative, meaning that God repeats these words over and over again so that they are never forgotten. Then God speaks tenderly to the Jews showing us His gentleness. It’s as if He’s wooing His people back to Himself. They had completed their hard service, the slavery in Babylon. . . their sins had been paid for. . . and God had forgiven His people.

We receive forgiveness today, not by serving our time to “pay off our sins”, but through a relationship with Jesus Christ, the spotless Lamb of God. And like the Jews, we will not escape adversity but, you can experience comfort in the midst of struggles. For the same God that promised His Jews comfort, promises us comfort. . .

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. (NIV) 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up {with} wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. (NAS) Isaiah 40:31

Except for the Garden of Eden, never in history has man escaped troubles, suffering and trials. Oftentimes the world seems to be without meaning or purpose, but God promises the people of Judah, as well as Christians today, that He will give hope, strength and comfort to those who trust in Him. But, the key to receiving God’s strength is revealed in Isaiah 40:31. Isaiah states that those who hope, or wait in the Lord, are the ones who renew their strength. But, “waiting” as used here, is not meant to suggest a neutral position. The verb means to wait with confidence, in expectation, trusting in God.

Waiting for men is difficult. In a society where instant gratification is expected, it is against human nature to patiently wait. Instead, we try to make things happen in our own way, by our own doing. But, as Christians, waiting on God is the rule, not the exception. We must learn to accept the fact that it takes time to grow and become the product that God desires for us. As David tells us in Psalm 62, we should wait in silence, in stability, and in confidence, which comes only from God.

The Hebrew word to “wait” is “qavah,” meaning “to bind together,” perhaps by twisting. It is by twisting ourselves around God’s strong nature that we ourselves receive strength and confidence in Him. We do not possess these traits ourselves, but God makes them available to those who wait and hope in Him. In return, God promises to “renew their strength.” The Hebrew verb used here for “renew” means to “exchange power or strength,” indicating that God will exchange man’s weakness for His strength.

Are you in a waiting mode? Are you waiting in silence, in stability, and in confidence? or have you given up hope? Try “twisting” yourself around God’s strong nature and in turn, receive His strength!

Does not the Word come like a soft shower, assuaging the fury of the flame? Yes, is it not an asbestos armor, against which the heat has no power? Let the affliction come–God has chosen me. Poverty, thou mayest stride in at my door; but God is in the house already, and He has chosen me. Sickness, thou mayest intrude; but I have a balsam ready–God has chosen me. Whatever befall me in this vale of tears, I know that He has chosen me.

Fear not, Christian; Jesus is with thee. In all thy fiery trials, His presence is both thy comfort and safety. He will never leave one whom He has chosen for His own. “Fear not, for I am with thee,” is His sure word of promise to His chosen ones in “the furnace of affliction.” –C. H. Spurgeon

Pain’s furnace heat within me quivers,
God’s breath upon the flame doth blow;
And all my heart in anguish shivers
And trembles at the fiery glow;
And yet I whisper, “As God will!”
And in the hottest fire hold still.
He comes and lays my heart, all heated,
On the hard anvil, minded so
Into His own fair shape to beat it
With His great hammer, blow on blow;
And yet I whisper, “As God will!”
And at His heaviest blows hold still.
He takes my softened heart and beats it;
The sparks fly off at every blow;
He turns it o’er and o’er and heats it,
And lets it cool, and makes it glow;
And yet I whisper, “As God will!”
And in His mighty hand hold still.
Why should I murmur? for the sorrow
Thus only longer-lived would be;
The end may come, and will tomorrow,
When God has done His work in me;
So I say trusting, “As God will!”
And, trusting to the end, hold still.
–Julius Sturm

The burden of suffering seems a tombstone hung about our necks, while in reality it is only the weight which is necessary to keep down the diver while he is hunting for pearls. –Richter

The public domain version of this classic devotional is the unabridged edition of Streams in the Desert. This first edition was published in 1925 and the wording is preserved as originally written. Connotations of words may have changed over the years and are not meant to be offensive.

He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” (NIV) Mark 14:33-34

Christ asked Peter, James and John to stay and watch and pray, while he faced the full impact of His coming crucifixion. Christ, who was without sin, was about to take on the sin of the world. In His mental anguish, He looked to His Father, God for strength. And He entreated His friends three times to watch and pray. . . and three times they failed and fell asleep.

What would you do if your friend spoke these words to you? Would you run to their side? Would you stay awake, keep watch and pray for them? Would you be desperate to help comfort them, ease their sorrow, carry their burden? Of course you would; you would never be caught sleeping, or would you?

Every day, people cry out to us for help. Their souls are overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. The problem is, they rarely call out verbally, as directly, as Christ did, and they rarely give us three chances to help. More often than not, you have to look closely, check for subtle symptoms of a broken heart. They may look tired and complain of a poor sleep habits. They may be “too busy” to spend time with you. They may turn to false comforts like drugs, alcohol or even sex. Sometimes, they may cover their sadness with false bravado. Often, they lash out in anger pushing you away when all they want to do is cry out like Christ did.

Ask God to show you who is crying out to you for help today. Have Him show you the signs of those who are in anguish. Reach out to them, pray for them, be there for them. Don’t be asleep!

When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. (NIV) Genesis 37:4

Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other 11 sons. Out of love he made a richly ornamented robe for Joseph. But, when his brothers saw that their father loved Joseph more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. The hate grew. After Joseph told his brothers about a dream he had, they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. On top of the hate, his brothers were jealous of him and they plotted to kill him.

When Joseph came to his brothers in the desert, they stripped him of his richly ornamented robe he was wearing and they took him and threw him into the cistern and sold him as a slave to Midianite merchants that came by. Eventually the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials.

Imagine what life was like for 17 year old Joseph. His own flesh and blood hated him so intensely that they plotted to kill him. He was rejected by his own family members. Have you experienced being hated. . . shunned. . . betrayed. . .rejected by a family member or close friend or colleague or church member? If so, you know how much it hurts. You know how uncomfortable family gatherings can be. You know the emptiness it leaves in your life. You know the tears you have shed.

Jesus understands your pain.

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. (NIV) John 1:11

He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. (NIV) John 3:32

His own disciples rejected Him and ran away at the time of His death. He told His disciples just prior to His death: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” (John 15:18; 20)

When those closest to you reject you, betray you, shun you or hate you, remember, Jesus understands. Run to Him to find comfort, healing, and protection. And know that you are chosen and very precious to the Father and Son!

As you come to him, the living Stone– rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him– (NIV) 1 Peter 2:4

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. (NIV) Isaiah 40:1-2

Isaiah 40 begins with the words “comfort, comfort” spoken to the few faithful people of Israel who are now in exile in Babylon. God promises His people that He will come in strength to rescue them and that He, the creator of the universe, “comes with power and His arm rules for Him” (v.10). God is not like a temporal or transient man (v.6-7), but instead is mighty enough to not allow anything to stand in the way of the remnant returning to Jerusalem (v.3-5). Isaiah also describes the nations of the world as a minuscule “drop in the bucket” compared to God, implying that God is not dependent upon what man does. “To whom, then, will you compare God?” Isaiah asks in verse 18. His capability and power to return the Jews to Jerusalem is unquestionable!

How are you doubting God’s power today? What “impossibility” do you see in your life that is too big for God? Don’t laugh at these questions. If you dig down deep into yourself, you will find someone that you have given up on. . . or a situation that you don’t believe will ever change. . . don’t give up, turn to God!